FASTING

In a sermon during Lent of 1522 the

Isaiah 58:3 “Wherefore
have we fasted…?.”
Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli showed
that the legalistic prohibition of meats
had no foundation in Scripture. In doing this Zwingli upset a
tradition that went back over one thousand years in the
ordinances of the Church of Rome. He received several death
threats and came into open conflict with the civil and
ecclesiastical authorities. In the early Church Wednesday and
Friday (According to the Talmud the Pharisees fasted on
Monday and Thursday, the 2nd and 5th days) were appointed
as fast days in commemoration of the passion and crucifixion
of Christ, but as early as the second century pharisaical
legalism had intruded into the Church, robbing men of the
liberty of the Gospel, and establishing "Quadragesimal Fasts"
(Lent). If Zwingli was right and if "the superstitious
observance of Lent"i as John Calvin called it is wrong, what
are we meant to think of fasting? What is the rationale behind
and the reason for fasting? How is fasting to be observed, or is
it a command of Scripture at all?

Fasting is an extraordinary means whereby, with a heavy

sense of personal sin, an individual (or church, nation etc.)
humbles himself and voluntarily abstains from food and
the activities of mundane life, for the purposes of invoking
the face of God for some special purpose.

The Rationale for Fasting

In disobedience to the command of God in the garden, Adam

yielded more readily to the carnal appetite of his belly than to
the spiritual relationship to God. He saw that the tree was
"good for food" (Genesis 3:6). This teaches us that temptation is
directed towards the body as well as the soul (cf. I John 2:14 ).ii
The subsequent history of humanity reveals the same
propensity to physical appetite as Adam had; Israel’s
continual complained in the desert was related to the physical
body: Exodus 16:3 "And the children of Israel said unto them,
Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of
Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to
the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this
whole assembly with hunger."

Throughout Scripture the analogy of feasting (although not

wrong in itself Luke 15:23ff) and gluttony is set over against
mourning and penitence. In Ecclesiastes 7:2 we read “It is
better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of
feasting...” Israel’s sin was, as Tertullian put it, that their soul
was fattened up rather than lifted up iii (Deuteronomy 32:15
cf. Psalm 86:4; Lamentations 3:41).

If appetite for the physical and temporal was one of the

motivating causes of the fall and throughout history God
makes reference to this appetite as antithetical to a humble
and penitent heart and a desire for spiritual reality, it follows
that fasting from these would be beneficial to the spiritual
dimension of man and in the pursuit of holiness. Fasting
therefore is a token and sign of penitence and humility
whereby we “relinquish for a season the bounties of providence, in
token of our conviction that we have forfeited all claim to our daily
bread. It is a symbolic confession that we deserve to be stripped of
every gift, and left to perish in hunger, nakedness and want.” iv

The Reason for Fasting

Fasting is reserved for those occasions when an individual

has a more than ordinary cause to seek the face of Godv (II
Samuel 12:16; Acts 13:3; Nehemiah 1:4). It is reserved for
times of solemnity not rejoicing (Matthew 9:14-17; Luke 5:33-
35). The Hebrew word tynI[T] (ta’anit Ezra 9:5 [heaviness]) is a
derivative of the word hn'[(' ‘ana) which means to oppress,
afflict or humiliate. Another word used in the Old Testament
is~Ac which simply means “to fast.” The New Testament
word used is nhsteu,w (nesteuo) which means to abstain from
food and drink either for religious or dietary purposes. From
a linguistic perspective then, biblical fasting is a subduing of
the flesh and bringing it into subjection to the Soul.vi

Confession of sin and consecration of soul are two main

reasons for fasting regardless of the occasion that precipitates
the fast. It is not enough to afflict the body in fasting if the
soul is not afflicted in humiliation before God. Fasting in and
of itself (Ex opere operato) is not a religious exercise; it becomes
so only when we make it a means to seek God; without the
inward penitence and prayer it would be mere external ritual
and a mockery, (Isaiah 58:5). In other words the efficacy of
fasting is not in a hungry belly.

Acknowledgement of and confession of sin is inseparable to

biblical fasting; Nehemiah 9:1-2 “Now in the twenty and fourth
day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting,
and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. And the seed of Israel
separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed
their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.”

Another aspect of fasting is consecration. Israel in Nehemiah

9:2 …”separated themselves from all strangers,,,” It is a renewal
of vows to God, with a wholehearted intent to forsake sin, live
in godliness with the power of God; Nehemiah 9:38 says
“And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and
our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.”
The Requirements for Fasting

Fasting is not a daily activity like prayer, nor is it an annual

activity, like Lent. Lent, say its advocates, is observed once a
year in commemoration of the work of Christ and with
reference to the words of Christ in Matthew 9:15 "…the
bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast."
Christ did not fast repeatedly, not even after the manner of
men in the duration. Christ fasted once, prior to his ministry,
and for forty days and forty nights. As a side note it may be
beneficial to point out that the fasting of Christ in its details is
not meant as an example for us to follow.

Fasting is for specific occasions, and times which are naturally

solemn (Matthew 9:14-17), in a period of conviction of sin
(Ezra 9:6), in adverse circumstances (Psalm 35:13), or in times
of special need for the power of God (Acts 13:3; Matthew
17:21).

Another detail to keep in mind is the extent of this voluntary

abstinence. Fasting is not only from food (Esther 4:16), it is
from pleasure and entertainment (Isaiah 58:3), from marriage
intimacy (Exodus 19:14-15; I Corinthians 7:5), and from sleep
(II Samuel 12:16). Some would infer from the Old Testament
that it is a Sabbath; an abstinence from all labour (Leviticus
23:30-32) and from all “external ornamentation” such as
clothing and perfumes.vii

Given the fact that the Leviticus passage is speaking

specifically of the Day of Atonement (Israel’s only appointed
national fast), and that the wearing of sackcloth was a Middle-
Eastern custom, it would be going beyond the bounds of
Scriptural mandate to require that we follow this in the details
also. However, the record of fasting given in Scripture leads
us to conclude that fasting means an abstinence from all that
distracts from seeking the face of God, even mundane life.
The Question of how long a fast should be is debated. Some
maintain that it is a full twenty-four hours, from evening to
evening and use Isaiah 58:5 in defense.viii The Bible does not
dictate the duration. There are physical and medical aspects
to factor in also. It would be unwise for some to go without
food for multiple hours. Moses (Deuteronomy 9:9) and Elijah
(I Kings 19:8) and the Lord Jesus each fasted for forty
consecutive days. This is not a precedent set for the Church. I
Chronicles 10:12 speaks of seven days and Esther 4:16 of three
days which leaves us to conclude that Scripture is
inconclusive with regard to the duration of a particular fast.

Conclusion
Fasting is more a state of mind and heart than it is a ritual. It
is not to be rushed into without thought and preparation. It is
not a badge of piety to wear with pride but an mark of
holiness carried with humility before the all-seeing eye of
God; Matthew 6:18 “That thou appear not unto men to fast, but
unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in
secret, shall reward thee openly.”
Endnotes

i John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Trans: Henry

Beveridge, 2 Vols. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1975),
2:465.
ii Tertullian, “On Fasting” in Anti-Nicene Fathers, 10 Vols. (Peabody:

Hendrickson Publishers, 2004), 4:102

iii Tertullian, “On Fasting” in Anti-Nicene Fathers, 10 Vols. (Peabody:

Hendrickson Publishers, 2004), 4:105

iv James Henley Thornwell, Collected Writings 1871, reprint;

(Birmingham, AL., Solid Ground Christian Books), 4:520.

v Henry Scudder, The Christian’s Daily Walk, (Harrisonburg: Sprinkle

Publications, 1984), 53.

vi Henry Scudder, The Christian’s Daily Walk, (Harrisonburg: Sprinkle

Publications, 1984), 51.

vii Wilhelmus a Brakel, “Fasting” in The Christian’s Reasonable Service

4 Vols. (Grand Rapids: Reformed Heritage Books, 1999), 4:4.

viii Wilhelmus a Brakel, “Fasting” in The Christian’s Reasonable Service

4 Vols. (Grand Rapids: Reformed Heritage Books, 1999), 4:7

 FASTING

In a sermon during Lent of 1522 the

Isaiah 58:3 “Wherefore
have we fasted…?.”
Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli showed
that the legalistic prohibition of meats
had no foundation in Scripture. In doing this Zwingli upset a
tradition that went back over one thousand years in the
ordinances of the Church of Rome. He received several death
threats and came into open conflict with the civil and
ecclesiastical authorities. In the early Church Wednesday and
Friday (According to the Talmud the Pharisees fasted on
Monday and Thursday, the 2nd and 5th days) were appointed
as fast days in commemoration of the passion and crucifixion
of Christ, but as early as the second century pharisaical
legalism had intruded into the Church, robbing men of the
liberty of the Gospel, and establishing "Quadragesimal Fasts"
(Lent). If Zwingli was right and if "the superstitious
observance of Lent"i as John Calvin called it is wrong, what
are we meant to think of fasting? What is the rationale behind
and the reason for fasting? How is fasting to be observed, or is
it a command of Scripture at all?

Fasting is an extraordinary means whereby, with a heavy

sense of personal sin, an individual (or church, nation etc.)
humbles himself and voluntarily abstains from food and
the activities of mundane life, for the purposes of invoking
the face of God for some special purpose.

The Rationale for Fasting

In disobedience to the command of God in the garden, Adam

yielded more readily to the carnal appetite of his belly than to
the spiritual relationship to God. He saw that the tree was
"good for food" (Genesis 3:6). This teaches us that temptation is
directed towards the body as well as the soul (cf. I John 2:14 ).ii
The subsequent history of humanity reveals the same
propensity to physical appetite as Adam had; Israel’s
continual complained in the desert was related to the physical
body: Exodus 16:3 "And the children of Israel said unto them,
Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of
Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to
the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this
whole assembly with hunger."

Throughout Scripture the analogy of feasting (although not

wrong in itself Luke 15:23ff) and gluttony is set over against
mourning and penitence. In Ecclesiastes 7:2 we read “It is
better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of
feasting...” Israel’s sin was, as Tertullian put it, that their soul
was fattened up rather than lifted up iii (Deuteronomy 32:15
cf. Psalm 86:4; Lamentations 3:41).

If appetite for the physical and temporal was one of the

motivating causes of the fall and throughout history God
makes reference to this appetite as antithetical to a humble
and penitent heart and a desire for spiritual reality, it follows
that fasting from these would be beneficial to the spiritual
dimension of man and in the pursuit of holiness. Fasting
therefore is a token and sign of penitence and humility
whereby we “relinquish for a season the bounties of providence, in
token of our conviction that we have forfeited all claim to our daily
bread. It is a symbolic confession that we deserve to be stripped of
every gift, and left to perish in hunger, nakedness and want.” iv

The Reason for Fasting

Fasting is reserved for those occasions when an individual

has a more than ordinary cause to seek the face of Godv (II
Samuel 12:16; Acts 13:3; Nehemiah 1:4). It is reserved for
times of solemnity not rejoicing (Matthew 9:14-17; Luke 5:33-
35). The Hebrew word tynI[T] (ta’anit Ezra 9:5 [heaviness]) is a
derivative of the word hn'[(' ‘ana) which means to oppress,
afflict or humiliate. Another word used in the Old Testament
is~Ac which simply means “to fast.” The New Testament
word used is nhsteu,w (nesteuo) which means to abstain from
food and drink either for religious or dietary purposes. From
a linguistic perspective then, biblical fasting is a subduing of
the flesh and bringing it into subjection to the Soul.vi

Confession of sin and consecration of soul are two main

reasons for fasting regardless of the occasion that precipitates
the fast. It is not enough to afflict the body in fasting if the
soul is not afflicted in humiliation before God. Fasting in and
of itself (Ex opere operato) is not a religious exercise; it becomes
so only when we make it a means to seek God; without the
inward penitence and prayer it would be mere external ritual
and a mockery, (Isaiah 58:5). In other words the efficacy of
fasting is not in a hungry belly.

Acknowledgement of and confession of sin is inseparable to

biblical fasting; Nehemiah 9:1-2 “Now in the twenty and fourth
day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting,
and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. And the seed of Israel
separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed
their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.”

Another aspect of fasting is consecration. Israel in Nehemiah

9:2 …”separated themselves from all strangers,,,” It is a renewal
of vows to God, with a wholehearted intent to forsake sin, live
in godliness with the power of God; Nehemiah 9:38 says
“And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and
our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.”
The Requirements for Fasting

Fasting is not a daily activity like prayer, nor is it an annual

activity, like Lent. Lent, say its advocates, is observed once a
year in commemoration of the work of Christ and with
reference to the words of Christ in Matthew 9:15 "…the
bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast."
Christ did not fast repeatedly, not even after the manner of
men in the duration. Christ fasted once, prior to his ministry,
and for forty days and forty nights. As a side note it may be
beneficial to point out that the fasting of Christ in its details is
not meant as an example for us to follow.

Fasting is for specific occasions, and times which are naturally

solemn (Matthew 9:14-17), in a period of conviction of sin
(Ezra 9:6), in adverse circumstances (Psalm 35:13), or in times
of special need for the power of God (Acts 13:3; Matthew
17:21).

Another detail to keep in mind is the extent of this voluntary

abstinence. Fasting is not only from food (Esther 4:16), it is
from pleasure and entertainment (Isaiah 58:3), from marriage
intimacy (Exodus 19:14-15; I Corinthians 7:5), and from sleep
(II Samuel 12:16). Some would infer from the Old Testament
that it is a Sabbath; an abstinence from all labour (Leviticus
23:30-32) and from all “external ornamentation” such as
clothing and perfumes.vii

Given the fact that the Leviticus passage is speaking

specifically of the Day of Atonement (Israel’s only appointed
national fast), and that the wearing of sackcloth was a Middle-
Eastern custom, it would be going beyond the bounds of
Scriptural mandate to require that we follow this in the details
also. However, the record of fasting given in Scripture leads
us to conclude that fasting means an abstinence from all that
distracts from seeking the face of God, even mundane life.
The Question of how long a fast should be is debated. Some
maintain that it is a full twenty-four hours, from evening to
evening and use Isaiah 58:5 in defense.viii The Bible does not
dictate the duration. There are physical and medical aspects
to factor in also. It would be unwise for some to go without
food for multiple hours. Moses (Deuteronomy 9:9) and Elijah
(I Kings 19:8) and the Lord Jesus each fasted for forty
consecutive days. This is not a precedent set for the Church. I
Chronicles 10:12 speaks of seven days and Esther 4:16 of three
days which leaves us to conclude that Scripture is
inconclusive with regard to the duration of a particular fast.

Conclusion
Fasting is more a state of mind and heart than it is a ritual. It
is not to be rushed into without thought and preparation. It is
not a badge of piety to wear with pride but an mark of
holiness carried with humility before the all-seeing eye of
God; Matthew 6:18 “That thou appear not unto men to fast, but
unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in
secret, shall reward thee openly.”
Endnotes

i John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Trans: Henry

Beveridge, 2 Vols. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1975),
2:465.
ii Tertullian, “On Fasting” in Anti-Nicene Fathers, 10 Vols. (Peabody:

Hendrickson Publishers, 2004), 4:102

iii Tertullian, “On Fasting” in Anti-Nicene Fathers, 10 Vols. (Peabody:

Hendrickson Publishers, 2004), 4:105

iv James Henley Thornwell, Collected Writings 1871, reprint;

(Birmingham, AL., Solid Ground Christian Books), 4:520.

v Henry Scudder, The Christian’s Daily Walk, (Harrisonburg: Sprinkle

Publications, 1984), 53.

vi Henry Scudder, The Christian’s Daily Walk, (Harrisonburg: Sprinkle

Publications, 1984), 51.

vii Wilhelmus a Brakel, “Fasting” in The Christian’s Reasonable Service

4 Vols. (Grand Rapids: Reformed Heritage Books, 1999), 4:4.

viii Wilhelmus a Brakel, “Fasting” in The Christian’s Reasonable Service

4 Vols. (Grand Rapids: Reformed Heritage Books, 1999), 4:7